“…It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35)

How this scriptural truth pervaded my life recently! Not a new truth, but in a new spirit of saying “a new commandment I give unto you …”. The fact about “Giving to God” including the 10% is truly the secret to “Blasting Debts” away.

As a pastor, I have read, preached, and taught about giving “Tithes and Offerings” to God as indicated explicitly in the Book of Malachi 3:8-10 many times. I have practiced it and experienced the goodness of the Lord that applies. Yet, recently, my spirit was ignited by the Spirit of God so much, that despite conditions that face me, without definite income source, leading me to robbing God, rather robbing myself, as the matter of fact, for constant accumulations of “financial debts”, I rediscovered that I have been “tying two hands – the hands of God from “releasing blessings” upon me, and mine from “receiving blessings” from God’ – something, if truly obeyed by letter would “0pen the windows of heaven and pour out upon me the blessings of God that I will not have enough room to receive”.

The passage reminded me truths, which I share with God’s people, including you in this content of my prayer letter for the month of January 2012 under “Ministry Activities”.

Personal Activities:

Personal activities featured morning bodily exercises including jogging, pushing, twisting, among others, which though ‘’profit little’’, yet serve good purposes for the whole being, as involve the mind, will, and emotion. The time ushered me in the spirit of prayer and meditation in the Lord, which benefits me, not only physically, but spiritually. Bodily exercises pay! Of course, my personal Bible reading, at this time through four Old Testament Books: 2Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther proved great benefits to me, as I fed on the good or godly spiritual activities of such characters, as Kings Solomon, Asa, Joash, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Cyrus among others. The reading also occupies my mind with passages and phrases particularly recorded in Nehemiah, and Esther such as: “ The people had a mind to build” (4:6); “Our God shall fight for us”(5:20);“I am doing a great work that I cannot come down”(6:3); “Should such a man as I flee?”(6:11); and of Esther, “If I perish I perish” (4:16). Truly, every part of the Word is rich in wisdom, understanding, knowledge, instruction and strength, all for the fact, that it has got the Spirit of God Himself to be its Author in all generations.

Family Activities:

· Devotional –

The family devotions have got to take some voluntary participations. When I should be on other schedules of activities, either Marie, David, Jonathan, or one of the girls has got to be on standby to lead. They all contribute in the sharing of Scripture verses, quoting from memories, all of which serve for one another admonition in the Lord. The boys have outdone me in their interest in playing guitar, as with evident gifts in music.

Animals taught us lessons in our devotions! Whiles there are so much to learn about animals in the Scriptures, as part of teaching of God through creation, we took lessons from few. Giraffe, as a visionary animal, among others has got looks of very far distances. It eats fibbers from top trees. Similarly, the eagle, which though may be among flying creatures, such as chickens, ducks, hawks, and other birds, yet flies above in the sky and views at distant places, where it gets it prey. We learned about the boldness of lion which fearlessly heads out for its prey among animals. The wisdom is reflected from King Solomon who drew lessons from the activities of creatures, extending to ants – teaching “unity” and “hard work” to preparing for the future by gathering their food into storehouse betime. All these impart to the believers in Christ, “To seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1-2).

. Education –

Whiles I have had my trust in the Lord for providing school fees for my kids, the experience has been one that proves the faithfulness of God. With David, our first, being out of high school (trusting the Lord to do Theology), yet this does not free out the responsibilities to pay for Jonathan in grade 11, Deborah in grade 8, Keren in grade 4, Kezia and Jemima in nursery classes. Not worrying over the “how” and “when” the school fees would be settled, with the failing away of sponsorship by the United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees (UNHCR) in years, yet prayers served the purpose. Thanks to God and His people for partnership work. ‘’He will never leave nor forsake His own’’.

Ministry Activities:

The Ministry benefited from the teaching of the Word of God, at this time on the topic of ‘’Giving to the God’’. The messages were based on Malachi Chapter 3:7-12. The passage examined the followings:

Church Service –

· On First Sunday, January 2012, Three Essential Presentations , as outlined:

I) Giving of Selves vs. 7 ‘’Return unto Me’’ involves the ‘’Bodies’’ (Rom. 12:1).

II) Giving of Services vs. 7 ‘’Return unto Me’’ involves the ‘’Services’’(2Cor.12)

III) Giving of Substances vss.8-12 ‘’Bring into My storehouse your tithes and offerings’’

· On Second Sunday, January 2012, Three Reactions of the Lord, as outlined:

I) The Out-cry of God – vs. 7 ‘’Return unto Me!’’, ‘’Ye have robbed Me!’’

II) The Out-Curse of God – vs. 8 ‘’Ye are cursed, the whole nation’’

III) The Out-Call of God vss. 10 ‘’Bring into My storehouse’’, a divine appeal/invitation

· On Third Sunday, January 2012, ‘’ What Giving Does?’ Malachi 3:8-10

l) Provides for God’s House – ‘’My store house’’- vs.10

ll) Proves God’s Hand – ‘’ Prove Me now’’- vs. 10

lll) Positions God’s Heart – to ‘’Open the windows of heaven and pour down blessings that there will not be room enough to receive them’’ – vs. 10

· On the Fourth Sunday, January 2012, ‘’How Can Giving Be Done Unto God?’’

I) By Giving to God’s People (Matt. 25:31-40)

II) By Giving to God’s Program (Matt. 28:19-20)

III) By Giving to God’s Project (Exodus 36.)

Refugee Prayer Service–

Special weekly prayer services/meetings are held with the Liberian Christian Refugees Community. It is intended to keep dependence on the Lord, as James and Peter did with the scattered believers in Christ from persecution that took them among other nations.

The Partnership Activities:

The Gambia Partnership (TGP) sponsorship of school kids is intended to extend and expand the Christian outreach activities in the Gambia . As a small charity organization based in Scotland , it shares the needs or complements the educational needs associated with some school kids as depended upon the available resources. It is my prayer and hope that the Lord take you into the partnership of His work in the Gambia (1Corinthians 3:9).

Thanks for being there in Christian partnership. God bless you!

Praises/Thanksgiving/Prayers:

· The Lord’s ever guidance for my personal activities –

· The Lord’s faithfulness in keeping my family activities –

· The Lord’s fulfillment in ministry activities –

· The Lord’s provisions for the Partnership activities –

· The Nation and Leadership of the Gambia to be God fearing –

Faithfully yours,

Reuben N. Weedor

Banjul. The Gambia

(220)6481368/Email:reubenandmarie2000@yahoo.com

Gambia Partnership February 2011 Visit from PointMedia on Vimeo.

”Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof…” (Ecclesiastes 7:8)

How time flies! It was like but yesterday, when we entered the year 2011. Now it has come and gone forever! How did I ever apply my life in the year is become a history. Yet, I take it a testimony of the LORD, how He rather applied His faithfulness to my life. Firstly, I praise Him for keeping me alive up to this date, not just so on earth, but that I am ever alive in Christ Jesus, who was born by a virgin, lived a perfect life, died for my sins, buried and rose again the third day and ascended to the Heaven. And, what can I say about the future? He comes to take me up in glory with Himself!

As the month of December ends, so ends the year! I take this time also to refresh my mind on the blessings of the LORD I cannot all count of His people, as expressed in partnership included in ‘‘the laws of one another”: love one another, bear one another burdens, forgive one another, confess your faults with one another, pray one for another, and so on, the list goes – in the body of Christ. ”What a fellowship we have in Jesus”! I express herein my gratefulness to the LORD and you, for being there to share my concerns and prayers, as I also do in my year end prayer letter, of the month of December 2011:

Personal Devotional Life –

As I enjoyed my personal devotions with the LORD, throughout the year, so it continued in the month. How it becomes an odd with me, when I am tempted to miss my daily Scripture reading! My day is never started right when I have not heard from and talked with Him. If I ever did, I received an emptiness and blessings of fellowship with my LORD. You might take the spirit with me, that devotions with God are the source of life. He is the beginning, and equally so, the end. That’s why I thank Him for His faithfulness all throughout my life from the past to the very present of my being of sharing these words with you. Nonetheless, the month took me into reading through the Chapters of Second Kings and First Chronicles. They are reflections on the lives of not only the political activities of God’s people, including Israel, but their spiritual activities, which challenged and charged my devotional life, too. Study with Scott based on series of topical messages on the attributes of God, by Rev. David Murray and doctrinal teaching by Dr. Ain Cains on Gospel of Jesus, all added blessings, as well as reading from Joel R. Beeke’s. Though other activities always must take me out, as attending to family, ministry, and other affairs that involved me, but how I need personal time with my LORD!

Family Life –

Family devotions are in parallel! I don’t find myself fit without the inclusion of my family into the spiritual activities. Even though, there is nothing like, in reference to mine, a perfect family, as it is the case with sins involving lies, stealing, uses of bad languages, and so forth, but how the LORD’s faithfulness has kept my family over the years, including the spiritual activities, as through the wildernesses over 20 difficult refugee life, to this point remains the testimony to tell about Him. He truly has been the ”refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1). The blessing out of this journey is that the LORD has never left the family without, not only feeding them with material manna, but with spiritual, which is the source of eternal life. At least, by the grace of God, every family member, as in reference to the elders, has personally trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior for their sins. This is the blessed tie that binds us together. How, I pray that the Lord will use each person effectively for His own blessed purpose for which each member serves in the body of the family, especially in caring one for another, as in sharing love one with another in the Lord. To keep up, the family activities, included with previous times, observed some growths and maturity as testified in sharing the Word of God through reading, memorizing, quoting, admonishing one another, as in spiritual songs, and prayers. We shared study that included with lessons I learned from personal times spent in Second Kings and First Chronicles, and others, as based on the birth of Christ, making reflections on Christmas for the Season. Of late, we took into looking visionary at life, basing on Philippians 3:13-15, to taking a future or eternal view with God, that, even though, we are living here on earth (locally, nationally, etc.), but sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Whiles, the family continues in activities, other challenges, including educational needs of the family members become crucial issue, for Jonathan of grade 11, Deborah of grade 8, Keren of grade 4, Kezia and Jemima of nursery, whose school fees are still to be settled. Dave, now out of high school, is yet to find a suitable Bible college for study that prepares him for the future ministry. He must need going out of the Gambia for this, as committed to the LORD.

Ministry Life –

”Don’t you know that I must be after my Father’s business”, was His reply when Mary and Joseph, His earthly parents had looked for Him and seen Him in the temple, with their question, ”Son why have you got us to look for you like this” in other words (Luke 2:48-49). Whiles, the work of God was His heartbeat, so His ministry becomes my ministry. Retrospectively, His calling of me into the ministry has been always confirmed to me, despite difficult conditions, as recent past, it is confirmed that no matter how small it seems, my present involvements are, as not identified with very large congregations, something of my long past experiences, yet I believe the present is for mainly preparing my family up for the task ahead, for what purpose I trust, hope, and pray that the LORD fulfills. Even though, the present community is highly dominated by counter faith or counterfeit, but this is not an excuse, as I share in my spirit the vision, mission and passion of the Lord. To share with you, activities of the ministry have been included with preaching/teaching, as well as in keeping fellowships with other believers in our neighborhood. Even though, ministry experiences in the Gambia have been an exceptionally challenging, for facts that I serve as a missionary of the LORD, yet without direct congregational sending. That’s why I covet your prayer supports, as the LORD provides the needs by His own sources, as including you for the ministry.

Partnership Life –

I take this, as an opportunity, to share with you the needs of The Gambia Partnership, which takes the project up with school kids, identified with numbers of schools in the Gambia for sponsorship in education. Whiles the needs are great, there are needs for others to join in prayers, and to see about supporting this worthwhile project in the Gambia, in conjunction with the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By the way, I specially acknowledge the goodness of LORD through the Partnership for keeping up with me, despite the numerous needs associated with my life in the Gambia. I wish you all the blessings of God to this end of the year, to starting a new beginning.

NB.

Please pray for the unsaid prayer points, as all may not be stated herein. How I cherish your brotherly concerns and prayers! Great appreciations to you! Have a blessed New Year!

Thanksgiving/praise/prayer:

1) The up-keep of my personal life in the LORD –

2) The up-keep of my family life in the LORD –

3) The up-keep of the ministry life in the LORD –

4) The up-keep of the partnership life in the LORD –

5) Others –

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Reuben N. Weedor

Banjul, The Gambia/(220)648-1368

Email: reubenandmarie2000@yahoo.com

Used with permission, http://www.puritanseminary.org

Used with permission, http://www.9marks.org